Wisconsin's James White ran for four of the Badgers' eight touchdowns. / Leon Halip, Getty Images

by Mike Lopresti, USA TODAY Sports

by Mike Lopresti, USA TODAY Sports

You're the unsinkable team who can salvage some of the Big Ten's tattered football image. You're the masters of survival who can stop the jokes. Beat Stanford, win the Rose Bowl, and all's well that ends well. Or, at least all's better that ends better, after a season of various embarrassments that sometimes left the conference with faces redder than your uniforms.

Well, that's one way to get noticed. You looked like the best five-loss team in the history of the game.

"Kind of walk softly and carry a big stick,'' coach Bret Bielema said of his team's demeanor through the tough times of the past. "And when you have a chance to take a swing, take it hard.''

Nationally, the score was only in muted lights, lost in the SEC glow from Atlanta. Wisconsin 70, Nebraska 31. Had anyone and 26,000 of their closest friends been looking for something to do Saturday night, there were seats available for them all in Lucas Oil Stadium.

Nobody should care about the Badgers' imperfections and misfortunes. Not anymore.

They will be the first team in history to take five losses to the Rose Bowl, at 8-5.

Big deal.

They nearly lost to Northern Iowa and Utah State back in September.

Old history.

The star running back, Ball, was beaten badly in a summer assault. The offensive line coach was fired after two games. The quarterback position kept changing owners, eventual going to a guy coming back from three ACL surgeries, Curt Phillips.

Irrelevant now.

They came into Saturday night having lost three of their past four games, and would not have even been in the same area code Saturday night had Ohio State or Penn State be eligible.

So?

"It's important to play by the rules off the field, too,'' Borland said. "We're proud of that.''

This is what we know about the Badgers.

They are more resilient than cactus. They endured a season of constant heartache, losing four games by three points, three of them in overtime. One good way to avoid losing close games? Win by 39!

They know the way to Pasadena. This will be their third consecutive Rose Bowl. The last Big Ten team to do that was Michigan, circa 1977-79.

They learned how to cope with quarterback instability, which is usually poison to high hopes. Nine FBS teams started at least three quarterbacks this season. Eight went 30-66. Wisconsin is going to the Rose Bowl.

Bielema mentioned all the long Saturday nights, mourning all those narrow defeats.

"Then I'd come in on Sunday and I'd just see the guys and the look in their eyes and the passion. When it hurts, it's supposed to hurt. They also knew the one element we all shared in the world was time. If we spent one day worrying about ourselves or what happened, we would never have a chance to move forward.

"I get it. I understand. I don't have a normal locker room. I've got a group of young men who are uncommon the way they go about their business.''

And they intended to take no prisoners Saturday night. They came to win a title and make a point, with more trickery up their sleeve than a Las Vegas lounge magic act. Bielema showed up Saturday night as a mad scientist, with mayhem on his mind.

On their fourth play of the game, the Badgers ran a reverse to Melvin Gordon. Went for 56 yards.

Not much later, receiver Jared Abbrederis threw back to Phillips. Went 27 yards to the Nebraska 1.

Once, they lined up nine players on one side of the field, and two on the other.

Then there was the Barge formation, a wicked package of deceit that includes seven offensive linemen, two tight ends, two tailbacks, and a direct snap to running back James White. Twice, White scored touchdowns. Another time, he handed the ball to Ball, who scored a touchdown.

"Our kids have a little bit of fun with it,'' Bielema said. "But it's the meat and potatoes that got us where we were.''

Among other things the Badgers had three â?? count 'em â?? three players top 100 yards rushing and score eight touchdowns.

That likely won't happen against Stanford, but the Big Ten's reputation still needs refurbishing. Things got so bad, hardship was contagious. Since announcing it will join the league, Rutgers lost two games.

Something must be done. Funny, it will be the team with five defeats that has to do it in the Rose Bowl, where it has lost the past two Januarys.